PRO BASKETBALL

PRO BASKETBALL; Rivers to Become Magic Coach

By MIKE WISE

Published: June 5, 1999

Glenn (Doc) Rivers reached agreement yesterday to become the Orlando Magic's head coach, an Eastern Conference team official confirmed last night.

Rivers, the former Knick point guard and current Turner Sports analyst, agreed to a package worth $8 million over four years, not including incentives, the official said. Rivers was the third candidate interviewed to replace the retired Chuck Daly, beating out the Phoenix assistant Scott Skiles and the former San Antonio head coach Bob Hill.

The Magic will hold a news conference Monday at which the hiring of Rivers will be announced.

Rivers was in the running to become the Knicks' general manager after the Madison Square Garden president, Dave Checketts, reassigned Ernie Grunfeld in April. Rivers spoke with Checketts in Indianapolis earlier this week, but apparently had his heart set on coaching.

In Orlando, Rivers will be allowed to hire his own staff and have a key say in personnel decisions, according to the official who confirmed his hiring. Included in those decisions will be whether to keep Anfernee Hardaway, the disenchanted point guard who has said he plans to exercise an option in his contract this summer and pursue free agency.

The hiring of Rivers leaves two head coaching vacancies -- the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards interviewed Isiah Thomas this week. The Eastern Conference team official said Thomas had been offered the coaching job by the team, but the former Toronto general manager and current NBC analyst was leaning toward not taking the position. If Thomas turns the Wizards down, the team is considering hiring the Detroit Pistons assistant Gar Heard.